DIY Curtis Jere Raindrops Tutorial

This tutorial instructs one to make a knock-off, far cheaper version of the Curtis Jere Raindrops wall hanging. The real deal was sold in the 70s, and it is now going for no less than $5,500 for the chrome version.  My  interpretation cost me $6.50 in spray paint; everything else I had on hand. Actually, the spray paint I had on hand as well, but then I ran out and needed to buy more.



Materials: wood bits, milk containers, wood
glue, wire, wire cutters, spray paint, glue gun,
circle cookie cutters

You may also need burn salve




A close up of the frame in progress

1) To build the frame, I randomly glued wood bits together.  The Curtis Jere seems to have a frame in a more minimal shape, but I needed to have cross braces for attaching the wire.  So, my frame is a large rectangle with random crosses where my wood scraps fit across, glued with wood glue.  Then I cut many wire pieces and twisted them onto the points where the wood crossed eachother.   I spray painted everything white.

2) To make the circles, I used clay cutters in 2 different sizes.  I gathered up many, many transluscent milk, water and juice containers over the course of a year, but you could collect more than enough containers on one long walk on recycling day.  I heated up the cutters with tongs over a gas flame, and immediately pushed the hot cutter into the plastic. 


3)  Finally, I hot glued the circles to the wires on the frame.  That's it.  I cleaned up the glue bits and strings, attached a string, and voila!  I created a very cool replica of an even cooler sculpture.  It was suprisingly easy and turned out well.  Now that I'm finished, I wonder if I could have used tin can tops instead of milk bottle circles.  Next time!!

I installed the art over the couch.  I think it
is too small.  What do you think?